Fish-cleaning machine.



Patelld July 14, 1914.

4 sums-sum 1.

G. P. MISCHLER. FISH CLEANING MAGHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY z, 1913.

G. F. MISCHLER.

FISH CLEANING MAGHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED MAY 2, 1913.

Patentd July M, 11.914n

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 2` C. F. MISCHLER. FISH CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLIGAToN FILED MAYz. 1913.

1L @389 Patented July 14, 1914.

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FISH CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION HLM) MAY 2. 1913.

1J 039%@9 Patented July 14, 1914,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

CHARLES F. MISCHLER, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO.

FISH-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters 'Patent Patented July 14, v1914.

Application mea May e, 191s. seriai No. 765,141.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. MIsoHLER, a citizen of' the United States, residing at Sandusky, in the countv of Erie, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Cleaning Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such aswill enable other skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fish cleaning machines.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a fish cleaning machine which obviates the necessity of partly dressing the ish by cutting off' the. heads and tails b efore feeding same to the machine for the purpose of cleaning.

. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a fish cleaning machine which embodies improved means for insuring a given depth of cut into the fish irrespective of its size, improved means for automatically adjusting the cleaning mechanism `to the particular size of fish being operated upon, and other improved mechanism as will hereinafter appear.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and partiularly pointed out' lin the appended claims.

In describing the lnvention in'detail reference will -be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote correspondingparts in the severalviews, and in which `Figure 1, is a pla-n view of a fish cleaning machine constructed in accordance with the invention;l Fig. 2, a side elevation of same;

Fig. 3, an end view of the machine; Fig. 4,

a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5--5 of Fig, '1; Fig. 6, a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 a section on the line 7-7 of Fig.y 2; Fig. "8, a section on the line 8--8 of Fig."7 Fig. 9,

-a Apc'arspective view of one of the holding' 10,' a lperspecl jaws of the carrier, and Figi tive of amodified form of olding jaw.

Referring to the drawin s the machine is' shown as comprising a ta le like lbody A which includes corner'legs l10 and intermediate side legs arranged in corresponding' pairs 11-12` and Z13- 14. Supported upon sections 15 and 16 having their adjacent longitudinal edges disposed in parallel spaced relation. The legs 13 and 14 are connected by a cross member 17 so as to hold the top sections 15 and 16 against relative movement. The side legs 11 and 13 and the corner legs 104 on the same side of the machine are connected together by a longitudinal beam 18. Likewise theside legs 12 and 14 and the corner legs 10 on the same side of the machine are connected together by a longitudinal beam 19.` The beam 18 between the side leg 11 and the adjacent corner leg 10 is provided with an inwardly directed flange 2O to which is secured an u directed flange 29 upon which is mounted a block 30 carrying an adjusting screw 31 disposed longitudinally of the machine. The flange 29 between the block 30 and the adjacent corner leg 10 is provided with longitudinal slots 32 and 33 through which are engaged bolts 34 and 35 respectively, said bolts pass'ing through a bearing' 36 seated upon the flange 29 and provided with' an upturned end 37 ladapted for coperation with the adjusting screw 31. Journaled in the bearings 27 and 36 is a shaft 38.

Fixed on the shaft 38 beneath the top section 15 isa sproket wheel 39, while a corresponding sprocket wheel 40 is iixed on the shaft'38 beneath the top section 16.

45 `is fixed on the-shaft 43 beneath the top section 16 and in 'line with the sprocket wheel 40. Traveling fon the sprocket'wheels l39.am'l 44 is 'a sprocket chain' 46 while an- -fother sprocket. chain 47 "travels on the sprocket wheels 40 and 45. Connecting the sprocket chains 46 and 47 at spaced intervals are plates 48 on each of which is formed an outwardly projecting arm 49. Pivotally mounted on each arml 49 for vmovement ytransversely of the machine are levers 50 and 51 the upper ends of which are drawn toward each other by a tension spring 52 having its terminals connected to said levers respectively. The'levers 50 and 51 carry at their upper ends coperating jaws 53 and 54 respectively which are formed of sheet metal and shaped so as to conform substan-' tiallyxto the shape of the sides of the fish.

Struck from these jaws 53 and 54 are inwardly directed tongues 55 which are adapted to engage the body of the fish when the jaws are clamped thereon so as to prevent sliding of the fish in the jaws during operation of the cutting and cleaning mechanism thereon.

Suitably suspended from the top sections and 16 at the end of the machine adjacent the shaft 43 are curved rails 56 and 57, said railsprojecting beyond the inner edges of respective top sections. These rails 56 and 57 are adapted to coperate with the inner ends of the levers 50 vand 51 during moveof the machine.

ment of the chains 46 and 47 so as to force said inner ends of the levers toward each other and thuso en lthe jaws 53 and 54 to permit a fish being fed therebetween. As soon as the levers and 51pass beyond the point where the rails 56 .and 57 are nearest together thel spring 52 willv act to close the rails -58 and 59 respectively which are adapt-` ed to engage the lower ends of the levers 5,0" and -51 after the sh has been operatedupon by the'cut'ting and cleaning mechanism 'and'l force the lower ends of said levers together;-

This copeartion between the railsv 58'andf59'v and the levers 50 and 51`will take place'just before the return movement (if-said.y levers andv associated parts so that thejaws 53 and 54 will be opened to discharge the fish already cleaned just before said levers and jaws begin to partake of their return movement. The parts so far described constitutethe fish conveying mechanism of the machinefand it will be apparent that lowing to the adjustable mounting of the bearings 27 and' 36 the chains 46 and 47 can always be maintained in the desired taut condition to maintain said mechanism at its highest eiiciency. l

Mounted on the,` side legs 11 and 12- are bearings 60 and 61 respectively in which is journaled a shaft '62 adapted to be'rota'ted from any suitable source of power. Fixed upon the shaft 62 1s a sprocket wheel 63 jaws 53 and 54 upon the fish and thus secure.y and holdsame in position to be operated upon by the cutting and cleaning mechanism@l Suitably supported from-Ff` the top members 15 and 16 at theendof-the* machine adjacent the shaft 38 are curved 'extending toward theshaft 43. This arm '71 terminates in a bearing 72 disposed transversely of the machine and this bearing 72 is provided with a radial arm 73 Idisposed at an'angle to the arm 71. Journaled in the bearing 72 is a shaft 74 one end of which has fixed therein a circular knife 75 disposed centrally of the machine while the other end thereof has xedfthereon a sprocket wheel 7 6. The free end of the arm j 73 has rotatably mounted therein a rod 77 which is adapted to be vlocked against rotation by a set screw 7 8 mounted in the free end of thearm 7 3.' Fixed on the rod 77 are corresponding lingers 79 and 8O which are disposed on opposite sides of the knife 75 respectively. These lingers 79 and 80 serve the function of insuring a given. depth of lcut by the knife 75 and said fingers can be" adjusted by rotating the rod'77 after re-v leasing the. set screw 78 it being apparent that the knife 75 can be thus controlled to operate efficiently on different sizes of fish. The [downward movement of the arm 71,

`bearing72 and arm 73 under the influence of gravity isv limited by a stop. screw 81 mounted for vertical adjustment in the top section 15 and engaging at its upper end the under side of the bearing 72. Rotatably `.mounted on the shaft 69 is a sleeve 82 pro- "..vided with an Varm 83 extending toward the shaft '38. The free end of'the arm 83 terminates `inra bearing 84 disposed transj versely of the machine and -j ournaled in this bearing is a shaft 85. Fixed on the shaft 85 in line with the knife 75 is a cleaning wheel B which includes' a disk 86 provided adjacent its peripheral edge with a plurality of radial slots 87 and in which is successively laced the ribbon of an endless coil 88. The downward movement of the arm 83 and bearing 84 isk limited by a stop screw 89 mounted for vertical adjustment in the top sectiony 15 and engaging at its upperend the under side of the bearing 84. Mounted on the end ofthe shaft 85 remote from the cleaning wheel B is a sprocket wheel 89 for a purpose that will presently appear. Ro?

tatably. mounted on the rod 69 between the sleeve 82 and the bracket 67 is asleeve 90 .which has fixed, thereon sprocket wheels 91, 92.and 93. They sprocket wheel 91. -alines with the sprocket 'wheel 66 and is voperan tively connected to the latter by' means of a sprocket chain 94. The sprocket wheel 92 alines with the sprocket wheel 76 and is operatively connected therewith by means of a sprocket chain 95. The sprocket wheel 93 alines with the sprocket wheel 89 and is operatively connected to said sprocket wheel by means of a sprocket chain 96. By this construction it will be apparent that when the shaft 62 is rotated such rotation will be imparted to the knife 75 and the cleaning wheel B.

Rotatably mounted upon the rod 69 is an arm 98 which adjustably supports at its lower end a V-shaped spreader 99 disposed in line with the cleaning .wheel B and knife 75 and having its minor end directed toward said knife. sleeve 70 by means vof a pin 97. It will be noted that by reason of the pin connection between the arm 98 and sleeve 70 any adjust- Ament of the knife 75 will produce a corresponding adjustment of the spreader 99.

Instead of the jaws 53 and 54 being provided with struck up tongues extending substantially all the way across the jaws the same may be constructed with a plurality of relatively short staggered tongues 100 as clearly shown in Fig. l0.

In the operation of the machine the rotation of .the shaft 62 is instituted by means of suitable connections with a source of power and this rotation of said shaft 62 will 1n turn simultaneously operate the various l. parts of the machine by reason of the connections heretofore described. As the levers 50 and 51 start to move toward the knife 75 the jaws 53 and 54 will be moved to open position by the rails 56 and 57 at which time the fish it is desired to clean is placed between the jaws. As the levers 50 and 51 move toward the knife 75 said levers pass out of engagement with the rails 56 and 57 and the jaws 53 and 54 are released to closed position and thus securely hold the fish therebetween. The fish is .then carried into contact with the rotating knife 75 which makes the incision, the fingers 79 and 80 limiting the depth of the cut. The fish will then be carried beyond the knife 75 and the spreader 99 will enter the incision and widen same to receive the coils of the cleaning wheel B. As the fish moves beneath the cleaning wheel the rotation of the latter lwill remove all entrails, the resiliency of the coil enabling same to closely apply itself within the fish and renderin it impossible for the fish to be tornin t e cleaning operation. After the fish has been acted upon by the The arm 98 is connected to the,

cleaning wheel it is moved on until the levers 50 and 51 are operated upon by the rails 58 and 59 said rails spreading the jaws 53 and 54 just as the levers and jaws -turns to par-y take of their return movement and thus discharging the clean vfish into a suitable receptacle at the end of the machine. This operation is repeated for each fish to be cleaned.

What I claim is l. In a fish cleaning machine, the combination of a supporting frame and a fish conveyer mounted on said frame, a transverse rod mounted on the frame above the conveyer, an arm pivotally mounted on said rod, a circular knife mounted on said arm in the plane of the conveyer, a pair of cut regulating fingers pivotally mounted on said arm and disposed on opposite sides of the knife respectively, means for pivotally adjusting said cut regulating fingers to vary the depth of cut, adjustable means: for limiting the downward movement of said arm under the influence of gravity, a cleaning wheel rotatably mounted on said frame in the plane of said circular knife, and a spreader mounted on the frame between the 'cleaning wheel and knife.

In a fish cleaning machine, the combination of a supporting frame, and a fish conveyer on said frame, a swinging arm mounted on the frame above the conveyer, a circular knife rotatably mounted on said arm intermediate the ends of the latter and in the plane of the conveyer, a pair of cut regulating fingers pivotally supported upon the outer end of said arm at a point forward of the advance edge of the knife and disposed on opposite sides of the knife respectively Said fingers having their free ends directed toward the inner end of the arm, and means for pivotally adjusting said cut regulating fingers to vary the depth of the cut.

3. A cleaning wheel for fish cleaning machines comprising a disk having a plurality 

